Undergraduate degrees are your academic cornerstone and the starting point for your future. They’re an opportunity to discover what you are passionate about and expand your thinking through program courses and electives. All while developing key skills like communication and critical thinking. 

The Faculty of Social Sciences offers a wide variety of degree programs that can often be combined in different ways. Students can focus on one subject with a single honours degree or if you are interested in two BA options, you can complete a combined Honours degree. Both options require the same number of units and take four years to complete. A BA degree typically focuses on one subject and takes three years to complete. 

You are welcome to enrol in any class that you meet the prerequisites for. Use your advisement report to ensure that you do not take courses that cannot be used towards your degree requirements. You are welcome to do so on purpose if you choose to.
 

To see how prerequisites are organized go to: the Academic Calendar > Most recent year > Course Listings > Search (Filter) by Subject (Prefix) > click on a class to see the prerequisites, then click on the prerequisite classes to see what they require. This will help you to decide which classes are most important to take this year.
 

Prerequisites can be specific classes, levels, a faculty, or a program within a faculty, specific grades in a class, or your cumulative GPA.
 

Antirequisites are specific classes, levels, a faculty, or a program within a faculty that will prevent you from taking a class.
 

Co-requisites are a class that you need to at least be enrolled in at the same time, if you don’t already have a final passing grade. 

Make the most of your education experience at McMaster by exploring your options for incorporating a minor area of study into your program. Or learn about our unique certificates and diploma options.